TALK ART/ TALK SOCIETY: HOW CAN WE MEASURE THE IMPACT OF ART?
26 November 2015, 6 – 8:30 pm
Unit 1, 3 York Way, King’s Cross, London N1C 4AE

The next event in the Finnish Institute’s Talk Art / Talk Society series deals with how the effects of art are measured. Speakers for the event are Professor Sara Selwood, cultural analyst and editor of the journal Cultural Trends (UK) and Sari Karttunen, Senior Researcher at CUPORE (FIN) and the discussion is moderated by Pauliina Ståhlberg, director of the Finnish Institute in London.

The discussion focuses on how the impacts of art can be measured and what different measurements imply in different contexts. How can the effects of art be reliably measured – socially, economically, culturally? What are the latest developments on the field of art research? Does a focus on measurability threaten the autonomy of art, or does it simply increase arts’ perceived importance?

The Finnish Institute celebrates its recent relocation to the vibrant Knowledge Quarter district of King’s Cross by hosting a series of moderated interdisciplinary Talk Art / Talk Society discussion events. The events will bring together Finnish and British experts to cover topic ranging from art and design to open data and digital
humanities. Events are targeted to creative professionals, academics, artists, students, hackers and general public of King’s Cross area. Each talk is followed by informal drinks and networking. Talks will be filmed and published online.

The event is free of charge, but please note we have a limited number of places available. To book your ticket go to: http://tats6.eventbrite.comonline.

Professor SARA SELWOOD is an independent cultural analyst, researcher and writer.
She edits the journal Cultural Trends and is currently an Honorary Professor at University College London. She was previously Head of the Department of Cultural Policy & Management, City University; Quintin Hogg Research Fellow, University of Westminster, and Head of the Cultural Programme, Policy Studies Institute. Prior to that, she ran contemporary art galleries. Much of her work is about the relationship between the intentions and impacts of public funding in the cultural sector

SARI KARTTUNEN is Senior Researcher at the Foundation for Cultural Policy Research (Cupore) in Helsinki.
Her previous employers include the Arts Council of Finland and Statistics Finland. She specialises in the sociology of artistic occupations and the statistical depiction of culture. She has also published on the internationalisation of art and the uses and abuses of cultural statistics and indicators. Her current interests include the role of independent curators in the production of contemporary art and the place of festivals in cultural life and cultural policies. She is also involved in a project evaluating the effectiveness of government discretionary grants in culture.

The event is free but please note that there's a limited amount of seats so please book the event beforehand at Eventbrite

PAST EVENTS

Talk Art/Talk Society: Are the Roles of Galleries and Museums Changing?
19 September 2015, 6-8:30 pm
Unit 1, 3 York Way, King’s Cross, London N1C 4AE

In September the Finnish Institute Talk Art / Talk Society discussion series looked at the roles of galleries and museums in the changing field of contemporary art. Speakers for the event were Nicola Shane, director of the Purdy Hicks Gallery (UK) and Kai Kartio, director of the Amos Anderson Art Museum (Finland) and the discussion was moderated by Pauliina Ståhlberg, director of the Finnish Institute in London.

Talk Art/Talk Society: The Importance of Being International - Artists Residencies and Supporting Internationality
21 May 2015, 6-8:30 pm
Unit 1, 3 York Way, King’s Cross, London N1C 4AE

In May, the Finnish Institute in London’s Talk Art/Talk Society discussion series looked at internationality. The speakers of the event were Rachel Falconer, Head of Art and Technology of the White Building/SPACE (UK) and Taru Elfving, Head of Programme at Frame Visual Finland (FI). The discussion focused on the international art field, artists’ residencies and the role of the curator. Both of the speakers are renowned for their work in supporting artists and experts in international contexts.

Talk Art/Talk Society
How Can Art Change the World?
19 March 2015, 6-8:30 pm
Tickets: Eventbrite

The event in March looked at how art can change the world. Speakers for the event were artist and director of the Beaconsfield Gallery, David Crawforth (UK) and artist Tellervo Kalleinen (Finland) and the discussion was moderated by Pauliina Ståhlberg, director of the Finnish Institute in London.

The discussion focused on what is art’s role in creating change and social impact – and what are currently the hot topics in contemporary art. It also questioned art’s social value - is its value attached to creative enterprise, economy or community work?

Talk Art/Talk Society
Merging technology and historical research: What Are the Future Archives Like?
11 February 2015

The second event looked into the questions regarding the relationship of technology and historical research. What possibilities and pitfalls does technology offer to historical research and archiving? How can we provide ways for people to educate themselves in preserving and sharing historically and culturally valuable information? Is there a risk of losing invaluable knowledge due to rapidly increasing amount of digital information?

Discussants for the event were Dr Jussi Parikka (FI), Professor in Technological Culture & Aesthetics and Dr Julianne Nyhan (UK), Lecturer in Digital Information Studies. The discussion was moderated by Antti Halonen, the Head of Society Programme of The Finnish Institute in London.

Talk Art/Talk Society: How Does Art Gain Visibility?
22 January 2015

The first talk looked at London as one of the world’s leading art capitals – and how art is visible in the city. What elements are needed to create an interesting art exhibition and what is the relationship between an exhibition and the space it inhabits. Should artists be marketing and branding themselves? Are all features about art written for an audience already interested in art – should the art press be reaching to the wider public?

Speakers for the event were James Putnam, art critic/curator, UK and Hans Rosenström, visual artist, Finland. It was moderated by Pauliina Ståhlberg, director of the Finnish Institute in London.